British Guiana 2c Bisected on Cover to W.H. Campbell

This cover is stated to be from the collection of E. A. V. Abraham(see his article below) Because these bisects are controversial this item is sold on its own merits. Below is an article By E. A. V. Abraham originally published in The British Guiana Philatelic Journal Issue No. 1 Dec 1906. It has always been a matter of doubt whether the bisected stamps of British Guiana were genuine. I am glad to say that after careful research and much worry I have been able to settle the matter once and for all. From information given me by the late Postmaster the Honourable N. Darnell Davis and the older members of the staff of the Post Office Messrs. Charles Chapman William Mortimer George Goring and others there can be not the slightest shadow of a doubt that the stamps were either bisected at the counter of the various post offices of the colony and affixed by the Post Master himself on the envelope and then handed to the person presenting the letter for throwing in the post box or bisected by the sender himself. That this was the case and that it was as evidenced by the information given by the gentlemen already referred to is further authenticated by the fact that I myself went to the Post Office at Capoey Essequebo with a letter to post. On applying for a stamp at the counter of the Post Office I was told that there were no stamps of the value asked for namely two cents and the letter was taken from me by the then Postmaster and he in my presence bisected a four cent stamp and placed the same on the envelope afterwards giving me the envelope to put in the post box which I did. I afterwards saw the same envelope in the possession of my brother Mr. William Abraham. With the half stamp duly cancelled. I have also on various occasions when I was the Registrar of Court posted letters from Suddie Essequebo and from New Amsterdam Berbice the stamps being bisected in my presence and placed on the envelopes. I have seen these envelopes afterwards in the possession of various parties but as I was not collecting stamps at the time I did not think it worth my while to get specimens. The late Mr. William H. Campbell L.L.B. who was well known to me as a Solicitor of the most methodical habits always on receiving a letter carefully opened the same with a knife and after reading the letter would replace the same in the original envelope and endorse on the back thereof the subject matter with the name of the person in some instances and the date. After his death a raid was made on his papers and a great quantity of stamps were found on the original envelopes. Several of the bisected ones were brought to me for purchase but as I said I was not collecting at the time and I unfortunately allowed the opportunity to slip. I have seen several of these envelopes with the bisected stamps lately in the possession of Mr. Whitehead and these envelopes have the endorsations in the writing of Mr. Campbell on them. Those that I saw are genuine. The post mark on the stamps referred to are mostly the old marks but there are some of them with corked postmarks and a few of them with the postmarks the style of which is now in use. It is said that at the time an official notice appeared in the Official Gazette and this is the concessus of opinion of the gentlemen who were in the Post Office at the time of the issue but I have failed to find such an advertisement but although the Hon. Mr. Darnell Davis is keen on the point that such an advertisement appeared Mr. Goring says that he would swear that it was made out. At any rate whether there was such an advertisement or not the fact remains that the issue was sanctioned by the Government. The stamps which were thus bisected and which have passed through my hands and which I have pronounced as genuine are. On original envelopes Two cent 1860 bisected diagonally. Two cent 1860 bisected diagonally. Two cent 1860 bisected triangularly. Idem right half of stamp. Four cent 1860 bisected as 1 2 3 and 4. These are in the possession of Mr. Whitehead Mr. J. F. Green and myself. On original envelope Twelve cent stamp 1860 bisected in half in the possession of Mr. Whitehead. Twelve cent stamp bisected for a quarter stamp in the possession of Mr. J. F. Green on the original envelope and bearing the Berbice Post mark and got from the upper reaches of the Berbice river. in excellent condition. One cent black 1860 on Official Gazette bisected horizontally. When I speak of the stamps of 1860 I am referring to the stamps with that date on the stamps. Collectors should be wary of purchasing these stamps except they are guaranteed genuine in writing by the seller as there are dozens of the bisected stamps on original envelopes which are cleverly bisected and placed on the envelope in the following manner. An envelope with the original stamp is obtained the stamp is carefully taken of and cut and as carefully replaced and then the piece on which the stamp is cut off from the original envelope and sold and on one occasion when the craze was on at the time of the finding of the stamps and envelopes some one planted a lot of them on various persons in the City and these have also been through mv hands and have pronounced as forgeries. I was glad to get a copy of a twelve cent 1860 bisected in half vertically from Mr. Ginn of London guaranteed as genuine as this tends to show that any rate the dealers are awakening to the fact of the stamps being hall-marked and I hope soon to see that they are catalogued by all the dealers. Besides the post officials I have seen several persons who remember the use of the bisected stamps and who have used them for postal purposes. (Please note the original date of publication. Since these articles were written there have been a significant amount of new discoveries and additional information available. Please process information contained in these articles with that in mind).

We use UK condition abbreviations.

U/M (un-mounted mint) is Mint Never Hinged or Never Hinged Mint.
M/M (mounted mint) is Hinged Mint.

POSTAGE

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For example UK Special delivery we charge £8.95 which after fees we get about £7.60 of the postage cost.
The face value of the stamps we need to send this is £7.95 (2nd April 2024).
We of course have to also buy the envelope, stock cards, the address label etc etc.

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